Could Your Home Benefit From An Attic Exhaust Fan?

Mine Did

I once lived under a roof that could have qualified as the setting for “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” at first, this did not bother us much (after all, we never sat up on the roof). However, we did have quite a large attic underneath it. The previous occupiers of the house had laid a thick layer of glass fiber insulation all over the attic floor so heat coming down through the ceiling below wasn’t too bad.

After I Had A Brain Wave

My circumstances changed and I was no longer an employee going to work at the company’s place. I became a self employed consultant who worked out of his home. The only problem was that the family claimed they needed all the rooms in the house and there was no space available for me to set up my “small home office”. “Ah” – I thought – “what about an attic conversion?”

We don’t even store anything up there and it has a large floor area and plenty of height. But, “wow” the tin roof! While up there taking measurements and sorting out plans on how to utilize all this space when, within minutes, I was drenched in my own sweat. I could almost burn my hand if I touched the underside of the roof – no way could I work in such heat.

The Beneficial Solution

Obviously I was not going to be able to work below that hot tin roof so, step one was to construct a sort of inner box within the attic space to form the floor, walls and ceiling of my new office room. However the attic conversion contractor that I chose for the job advised me that there would still be too much heat radiating down from the much reduced attic space between the ceiling of the office and the metal roofing sheets. His solution was to utilize a cooling system based on insulation, convection and forced draft. Aluminum foil would reflect heat back into the smaller space below the roof sheets; a correctly rated Attic Exhaust Fan strategically placed would suck hot air out through a vent which would also allow cooler outside air to be sucked in below the roof through vented soffits.

I am typing this in my freshly completed office and it is a clear sky, hot summer’s day outside but I don’t even need aircon since the Attic Exhaust Fan driven ventilation system above me is keeping most of the heat at bay by preventing it from building up. That Attic Exhaust Fan was definitely a wise investment.

Commercial Exhaust Fans for Your Restaurant

There are several things that can affect the number of customers that dine at your restaurant. From cuisine to atmosphere, you should aim to please a target group of customers. However, there is another thing that can affect your restaurant's customer base; it's reputation. One thing that has a strong negative effect on your reputation as a restaurant owner is health code violations. To keep your restaurant violation free, you need commercial exhaust fans in your kitchen. Kitchen exhaust fans are specifically designed to eliminate humidity in your work environment, which prevents mildew, mold, and bacteria.

Why You Need an Exhaust Fan

If you are the owner or manager of a restaurant, it is very likely that you already have an exhaust fan system for your kitchen. There are several ways that a functional, well-maintained exhaust fan can benefit the atmosphere of your restaurant and kitchen. First, exhaust fans remove moisture. This is essential because the kitchen is a very humid, warm environment. It is full of smoke and steam that constantly rises into the air. A commercial exhaust fan will work to eliminate humidity in the kitchen environment, to prevent bacteria, mold, and mildew growth. These things are not only a danger to your kitchen; they are a danger to your restaurant's reputation.

Another way that commercial exhaust fans work is by removing odors and smoke from the cooking environment. While there are many pleasant aromas in the kitchen, they may combine with others and create an unpleasant odor. While an exhaust fan may not remove all odors, it can reduce the amount of smoke and odors in the kitchen environment.

Types of Exhaust Fans

There are two common types of commercial exhaust fans, including impeller fans and blower fans. Some restaurant owners also use a central exhaust system. Impeller fans have blades similar to airplane propellers. They also move similarly to the way that airplane propellers do. Blower fans are sometimes called squirrel cage fans. They look like hamster wheels, and are considered more efficient than impeller fans. Central exhaust systems are one of the most efficient options. Central exhaust systems use a system of exhaust fans and ducts. They work to remove smoke and moisture from some, or all of the rooms in the building.

The Exhaust Fan System

If you use an impeller fan or blower fan, you will have three parts to your commercial exhaust fan system: the exhaust fan itself, ducting, and a hood. The fan removes moisture through the duct using a fan. If you have a large building or kitchen, you may have one or more fans used as a central exhaust system. These will draw air from some or all areas of the building using a duct network.